Page 284 - ShowSight, March 2020

THE
CESKY TERRIER
1. Where do you live? What do yo do outside of dogs?
2. In popularity, The Cesky Terrier is currently ranked #185 out of 192 AKC-recognized breeds. Do you hope this will change or are you comfortable with his placement?
3. Do these numbers help or hurt the breed?
4. Is the Cesky Terrier a hunting dog and what are its prey?
5. How does the Cesky’s physical appearance aid in his hunting?
6. What ailments does the breed suffer from, if any?
7. Is the Cesky, despite its hunting nature, a good house pet and is it comfortable around children?
8. Can the Cesky be left alone with food in abundance?
9. Can the Cesky have soft or moderately soft toys?
10. Are there any misconceptions about the breed you’d like to dispel?
11. What special challenges do breeders face in our current eco- nomic and social climate?
12. At what age do you start to see definite signs of show-worthi- ness (or lack thereof)?
13. What is the most important thing about the breed for a new judge to keep in mind?
14. What’s the best way to attract newcomers to your breed and to the sport?
15. What is your ultimate goal for the breed?
16. What is your favorite dog show memory?
17. Is there anything else you’d like to share about the breed? Please elaborate.
SANDRA & GREGG BRIDGE- CHASE
We have always had dogs and switched to Terriers as their size was more manageable for us. We bred Welsh Terriers in the 90’s and started breeding Cesky Terriers in 2014. We have been showing since 2013. We live on 51⁄2 acres in the Illinois countryside. We are not a kennel. All our dogs live in our home and all our pups are raised in our home. We are AKC Breeders of
Merit and members of the AKC Cesky Parent Club, ACTFA, Inc. If anyone is interested in learning more about a Cesky Terrier or want to meet them in person, our door is open to a visit or you can give us a call.
We live in Port Byron, Illinois. About 21⁄2 hours west of Chicago on the Mississippi River.
We are now retired and do a fair amount of travel. We do go to “The Days of the Cesky Terrier” in Telc, Czech Republic every year and tack on a vacation. The Cesky event is held by the Czech Cesky Home Club and it is three days of fun. There is, of course, a conformation show, agility trial, a Tombola and special dinner. Here we have met fellow breeders and fanciers and have developed friendships with other Cesky lovers all over the world.
Do I hope the breed’s poplarularity will change or am I comfort- able with the placement? The breed is becoming more popular, but there currently are only a few people breeding in the U.S. Most of us have a waiting list for puppies and often people don’t want to wait
(and that is understandable). I do hope we will go up in popularity, but it will take time.
Do these numbers help or hurt the breed? The numbers don’t hurt the breed. We find that the pups we place all go to great homes with people who have researched what breed will suit them best. I would like to see the number grow so we make sure this breed sur- vives. With the Cesky being a rare breed we have to be very active in promoting the dogs, pups and be responsible breeders.
Is the Cesky Terrier a hunting dog and what are its prey? The Cesky was developed for hunting, but today in the US it is mostly a family dog. There are still active owners who use the Cesky to hunt in Europe. At The Days of the Cesky Terrier, one hunter did put on a demonstration using a wild boar skin to show how the Cesky hunts the boar.
How does the Cesky’s physical appearance aid in his hunting? The fall on the Cesky is meant to protect their eyes when hunting. It will protect the eyes when going through bramble and, if facing off with their prey, the opponent will catch the fall before they get the Cesky eyes. We don’t use ours for hunting, but we live on 51⁄2 acres in the country and our Ceskys have brought in rabbits, squir- rels, and moles. They have gone up against raccoons, opossums and ground hogs successfully as a pack, but we try to supervise their yard time to minimize those confrontations.
What ailments does the breed suffer from, if any? Ceskys are relatively healthy. Some have died prematurely from cancer, but that seems to happen in every breed nowadays.
This is what the AKC says: “These include patella luxation (slipped stifles), cardiac problems, progressive retinal atrophy, and cataracts. Many suffer from a neurological issue known as Scotty Cramp, a somewhat debilitating, but not life-threatening, disorder that causes your dog to spasm, affecting his movement.”
I do know of a few Ceskys with heart issues, but have not heard of the other issues happening in any frequency. The tests that the ACTFA club recommends is based on data and recommendations on what the Czech Club recommends.
From our personal experience we have not had any health issues (yet) with our group of 12 plus Ceskys (now currently eight). Our oldest is nine and the youngest is eight months.
Is the Cesky, despite its hunting nature, a good house pet and is it comfortable around children? The Cesky is a great house pet and very comfortable with children. We have placed many Ceskys in homes with children and often get pictures back of the kids and the Cesky all cuddled up together.
Can the Cesky be left alone with food in abundance? Ceskys are chow hounds and should not be left with food in abundance. I know that some will say they don’t have that problem with their Cesky, and that might be the case if they only have one Cesky and it is the only pet in the house and there is no other competition for food.
Most pet Ceskys can become overweight if their food intake is not measured. Of course, there is always the exception to that. We have one boy that seems to have a very high metabolism and we feed him double portions and he is a healthy weight, but I don’t think he would ever get fat.
Can the Cesky have soft or moderately soft toys? We recom- mend to all our puppy placements that they give their Ceskys only very durable toys and supervise them. Ceskys have very large canines and can easily destroy soft toys. Again, there are exceptions and the owners will find out if they have an aggressive chewer or a Cesky that values their toys, but I find for the most part they destroy soft toys.
282 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MARCH 2020